Two University of Nottingham chemists have joined the ranks of illustrious winners of the Royal Society of Chemistry’s Corday-Morgan Awards. Forty seven previous winners of the Royal Society of Chemistry’s Awards have gone on to win Nobel Prizes for their pioneering work, including Harry Kroto, Fred Sanger and Linus Pauling.
Professor Stephen Liddle, an expert in inorganic chemistry, has already received numerous accolades for his research into the fundamental chemistry and properties of uranium. Andrei Kholbystov, Professor of Nanomaterials, is a leading expert on the study and discovery of chemical reactions at nanoscale.
Dr Robert Parker, Chief Executive of the Royal Society of Chemistry said: “Whether they work in research, industry or academia, our winners are the very best in their fields, and they can be very proud to follow in the footsteps of some of the most influential and important scientists around the world. In a complex and changing world, chemistry and the chemical sciences are vital in responding to some of humanity’s biggest challenges and our prize and award winners are at the forefront of meeting that challenge.”
Professor Liddle received the award for meritorious contributions to chemistry. In 2011 he won the Royal Society of Chemistry’s Radiochemistry Group Bill Newton Award and the Sir Edward Frankland Fellowship. His research looks at the fundamental chemistry and properties of uranium, focusing on how uranium interacts with elements from around the periodic table, which could inspire new approaches to nuclear waste clean-up.
He said: “I am absolutely delighted and honoured to win this prize, and the credit goes to the fantastically talented students and postdocs in my team who have made our science a reality.”
In 2005, Professor Khlobystov, Director of the Nottingham Nanotechnology and Nanoscience Centre, performed a chemical reaction inside carbon nanotubes (Guinness world record for the World’s Tiniest Test Tube, 2005) and demonstrated that nanoscale confinement can lead to new products inaccessible by other synthetic methods. His research looks at the structural characterisation of individual molecules and uses transmission electron microscopy as a new tool for the study and discovery of chemical reactions at nanoscale.
He said: “I am thrilled and honoured to receive this prestigious prize. My dream to study molecules and discover chemical reactions at nanoscale drives my research, and I would like to thank my wonderful research group and collaborators for giving me the chance to live my dream.”
Award winners are evaluated for the originality and impact of their research, as well as the quality of the results which can be shown in publications, patents, or even software. The awards also recognise the importance of teamwork across the chemical sciences, and the abilities of individuals to develop successful collaborations.
Posted on Thursday 7th May 2015